Source: www.ElosReef.fr
Since late 2011 Elos has used the PS100 in its Midi aquarium system, but now we have the PS200 with improved performance.
Here are the performance and ease of use details for the new Elos PS200 skimmer.
Principles of skimming
Nowadays the skimmer in reef aquariums is widely accepted as an indispensable piece of equipment for maintaining good water quality, especially for fragile organisms such as corals.
The skimmer removes the organic load in the water using the hydrophobic characteristics of the suspended molecules.
To achieve this, a jet of water and air is injected into the body of the skimmer, creating small bubbles which in turn will make a froth that will attach itself to organic molecules and, also small particles of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton. All we need to do is collect this froth, composed of organic matter and residue in the collection cup for removal and thus, improve the systems water quality.
A skimmer’s performance depends on a few variables such as water flow, air flow, and bubble size. The body height of the skimmer is important since it determines the amount of water and air contact time.
The average aquarist does not have the precise equipment to evaluate a skimmer’s performance, so he/she is looking for a skimmer to allow the formation of very tiny bubbles with sufficient contact time to allow collection of the characteristic tea-coloured malodorous liquid.
Presenting the PS200
The power skimmer 200 is a disperser skimmer; this means the skimmer’s water pump has a modified motor. The traditional rotor blades are replaced by a system of brush (Pin) wheels which optimizes the water/air mixture and thus, forms very tiny and homogeneous bubbles using a micro cavitation effect.
In this system the air is injected before the water pump with a venturi effect.
This kind of skimmer is very common and has the advantage of being very quiet and energy efficient.
On the PS200, Elos optimizes the process by adding a distributor plate which permits an excellent diffusion of the water/air mix inside the skimmer’s body.
The water pump is aligned with the skimmer’s body which allows a saving of space in the sump and occupying only 12.6cm x 10.5cm (4.961 x 4.134 inches) for a 50cm (19685 inches) high unit including the collection cup. The skimmer’s body is 10cm (3.937 inches) in diameter.
The skimmer is constructed from high grade acrylic with smooth lines and is finished to a high standard as you would expect from Elos.
The PS200 has passed a unique strength test, my children accidentally knocked it off a table and onto the ground, but it survived and performed brilliantly as expected.
Mounting & installation in the sump
The Elos PS200 skimmer is shipped without mounting instructions which can be puzzling for a beginner; it is an area that Elos should make efforts to improve for beginners. Fortunately mounting is easy.
For those who might have trouble setting up the different components, there is a video made by Jesse (Elos USA Blog manager) explaining how to set it up with a lot of detail on how to mount:
Installing it into the sump tank doesn’t cause any particular problems. The PS200 has a larger diameter (10cm / 3.937 inches) than the NS100 (8cm / 3.150 inches) but the sump tank seems less crowded. Indeed, the NS100 used to occupy a bigger space with its side-mounted pump (20 x 9cm / 7.874 x 3.543 inches). The line configuration of the PS200 has an undeniable advantage in terms of space, but also as we will see later in this article in terms of efficiency!
The PS200 is very stable thanks to the soft pads located under the Syncra pump. This avoids vibration transmission (resonation) and thus, noise.
PS200 versus NS100
Let’s compare both Elos’s skimmer’s characteristics
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Elos PS200:
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Elos NS100:
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Height
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50cm – 19.685 inches
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47cm – 18.504 inches
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Occupied space
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12.6 x 10.5 cm – 4.961 x 4.134 inches
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10 x 10 cm – 3.937 x 3.937 inches
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Occupied space with pump
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//
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20 x 9 cm – 7.874 x
3.543 inches
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Diameter
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10cm – 3.937 inches
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8cm – 3.150 inches
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Pump
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Sicce Syncra 1350
L/H – 296.958 gal/H
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E-Pump 1100 L/H –
241.966 gal/H
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Power consumption
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32W
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23W
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Collection cup capacity
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400ml – 0.088 gal
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250ml – 0.055 gal
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As you can see from this chart, the PS200 is of a higher specification than the NS100.
Visually too, the PS200 beats its elder.
The PS200 working
As soon as you power up the PS200, what surprises you most is its ease of setting up. There is only a setting wheel to move to adjust the level of water in the reactor. What a change from the NS100 which is rather delicate to set with a hard to find compromise between the water and air flow. The NS100 skimmer was good, but you had to pay attention to the settings all the time. Moreover, its 250ml (0.055 gal) collection cup was quickly filled.
After the initial set up of the PS200 is made, you will not need to adjust it anymore, however you will need to monitor the system’s osmolation rate (evaporation), so that you have the correct amount of water (level) in the sump at all times. If these conditions are met, the PS200 works optimally and easily.
Another difference between the two Elos skimmers: the PS200 produces a far better water/air mix quality than the NS100. With its disperser plate, the PS200 produces a compact froth made of very small and homogeneous bubbles on the reactor’s surface. It is almost impossible to get the same result with the NS100, even with the best settings possible. All the components are here to maximize the performance of the PS200 skimmer.
The PS200 is silent when working. There is no vibration (resonation) transmission in the sump tank. There is just a bit more bubble noise present than on the NS100. But when the Elos Midi cabinet’s door is closed, the PS200 is inaudible.
Conclusion
To conclude this article, we can safely say that there is no comparison to make: the NS100 skimmer which used to be equipped in the Elos Midi’s sump is totally beaten by the PS200 skimmer.
Using the PS200 is a big comfort because of its easiness to set and of its performance, far better than its predecessor, as well as the space it saves in the sump tank. For beginners, the Elos PS200 makes it simple to access the Elos universe. Setting up a skimmer is usually a source of questions for the novice aquarist, questions are very common on forums. With the PS200, I sincerely think these kinds of questions will disappear. For the confirmed users or those who already own a NS100, the Elos PS200 is a serious evolution to think about. The only reproaches we could make are the absence of documentation and a small increase in the power consumption.
Personally, I can’t even imagine going back to my “old” NS100!
